In legal and legal-related proceedings, maintaining the integrity of the record is a crucial job. For instance, the testimony of a witness or the statements of an accused, if not properly preserved, can lead a judge or jury to make a wrong decision.
Typically, audio and/or video recordings are made during court hearings, and the electronic file of these recordings becomes the official record of the proceedings. From time to time, a party in a proceeding before a court may assert that the recording in the electronic file does not align with their recollection of events, and has therefore been altered or tampered with.
While the likelihood of a successful, undiscovered alteration of an electronic file of this type is relatively low, the making of such an allegation may have serious ramifications both for the custodian of the recording and the proceedings of the court.
As a result, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a reliable way in which to independently verify that the electronic file contains an accurate and unaltered recording of the court proceedings.
It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.